Midnight Raid Cracks Down on Overdue Books-Borrowers Jailed

THE 3LEVE]
idnight Raid Cracks Down on
Overdue Books-Borrowers Jailed
EAST ORANGE, N. J.—(UPD— Came the knock on the
door, the flash of authority, the midnight ride to headquarters — and 14 persons faced the desk sergeant on
charges of failing to return overdue library books.
"I felt like Public Enemy No. 1321," said William
Ansley, 36, a salesman. The arrest broke up a bridge
game at Ansley's home.
"They treated us like we just robbed the First National
Bank," said Jafltfies Washington, a civil service employee
at the Picatinny Arsenal, Dover, N. J.
Ansley and Washington were two of seven persons
fined $25 each Tuesday under a new East Orange ordinance providing penalties up to $200 for failure to return
library books. One person was fined $15, two others
were acquitted and four more will get hearings later.
The 14 were arrested on warrants signed by Harold
Roth, director of the East Orange Library. Roth said
ample overdue notices and certified letters had been sent
out, but that none of the offenders replied. He said books
were four months to a year overdue.
Magistrate William P. Wilkins said the fines were imposed not because the books were overdue, but because
authority had been defied.
Washington said it was midnight when a man came to
his door,
"He told me he was a policeman, showed me the summons and said I was under arrest," Washington said. "I
asked couldn't he take the books. He told me he didn't
work for the library.
"We went over to another fellow's house, picked him up
and went down to headquarters," Washington said.
"They slammed us in a cell, allowed us one phone call
and told us bail was $100. The book (an auto repair m
ual) was worth only about $7. About 3 a. m. they put
another fellow in jail for assault and battery and his bail
was only $25."
Washington said that after paying his fine, he took all
his library books back and told them "I don't think I'll
have any further need for the public library."

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THE 3LEVE]
idnight Raid Cracks Down on
Overdue Books-Borrowers Jailed
EAST ORANGE, N. J.—(UPD— Came the knock on the
door, the flash of authority, the midnight ride to headquarters — and 14 persons faced the desk sergeant on
charges of failing to return overdue library books.
"I felt like Public Enemy No. 1321," said William
Ansley, 36, a salesman. The arrest broke up a bridge
game at Ansley's home.
"They treated us like we just robbed the First National
Bank," said Jafltfies Washington, a civil service employee
at the Picatinny Arsenal, Dover, N. J.
Ansley and Washington were two of seven persons
fined $25 each Tuesday under a new East Orange ordinance providing penalties up to $200 for failure to return
library books. One person was fined $15, two others
were acquitted and four more will get hearings later.
The 14 were arrested on warrants signed by Harold
Roth, director of the East Orange Library. Roth said
ample overdue notices and certified letters had been sent
out, but that none of the offenders replied. He said books
were four months to a year overdue.
Magistrate William P. Wilkins said the fines were imposed not because the books were overdue, but because
authority had been defied.
Washington said it was midnight when a man came to
his door,
"He told me he was a policeman, showed me the summons and said I was under arrest," Washington said. "I
asked couldn't he take the books. He told me he didn't
work for the library.
"We went over to another fellow's house, picked him up
and went down to headquarters," Washington said.
"They slammed us in a cell, allowed us one phone call
and told us bail was $100. The book (an auto repair m
ual) was worth only about $7. About 3 a. m. they put
another fellow in jail for assault and battery and his bail
was only $25."
Washington said that after paying his fine, he took all
his library books back and told them "I don't think I'll
have any further need for the public library."